The Assessments about the Album of Corinne Bailey Rae - Term Paper Example

Corinne Bailey Rae: Corinne Bailey Rae Singer/song Corinne Bailey Rae’s debut self d album, released in 2006, received mostly positive reviews. Most reviewers found her music alluring and more memorable than other similar albums released at about the same time by similar artists. Both reviewers discussed in this essay enjoyed Corinne Bailey Rae, but found its songs lacking in substance and depth. Both reviewers used the aesthetic criteria to make their assessments about the album. Keywords: Corinne Bailey Rae, R&B music Corinne Bailey Rae: Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled first album, which came out in 2006, debuted at #15 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and got as high as #3. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of January 2010, the album had sold almost 2 million copies in the U.S. and over 4 million worldwide (Herrera, 2010). Although her second album, The Sea, which was released in early 2010, did well, it did not do as well as Corinne Bailey Rae. Corinne Bailey Rae was also awarded several awards, including three Grammy nominations. The album won ASCAP’s Song of the Year for its first single, “Put Your Records On.” In all, the album received ten awards and was nominated for twenty-one. Based on thirteen reviews, the album received an average score of 69 out of 100 at Metacritic (2006), representing “generally favorable reviews” from most critics. These reviewers compared Bailey Rae to other female recording artists such as Billie Holiday, Norah Jones, Macy Gray, and Sade, as well as Stevie Wonder. Some of the critics listed on Metacritic for Corinne Bailey Rae, although they were mostly positive about the album, viewed many of its songs as “filler.” Even Preston Jones (2006) of Slant Magazine, whose review which was mostly positive (3 out of 5 stars), said that the album was “a triumph of mood over tangible substance.” Christian John Wikane (2006) of PopMatters was even harsher, comparing Bailey Rae’s songs in her album to puff pastry. Wikane stated that he really wanted to like the album, but was left dissatisfied, and Jones seems to want the same as he compares Corinne Bailey Rae positively to other R&B albums. Both critics have very different aesthetic criteria on which they base their opinions of Corinne Bailey Rae. One aspect they share, however, is how much they enjoy the work. The role of the critic is to give opinions about a work of art or a piece of music. Most music listeners, when they read a review, want to know if the critic has enjoyed the album or piece of music being reviewed. Music listeners read reviews because they either trust the critic or the publication in which the review is published, so the critic’s enjoyment of the album is the first thing they want to know. Both reviews are from reputable music sources, Slant Magazine and PopMatters. Both critics see flaws in Corinne Bailey Rae, but they find listening to it enjoyable. Both compare Bailey Rae’s music to a fine summer day, apt since it was released prior to the summer months in the U.S. Wikane predicts, when talking about the album’s biggest hit, “Put Your Records On,” that Bailey Rae’s fans “will no doubt open the sunroof, roll down the windows, and blare this track from car stereos,” and even promises to do so himself. Jones calls Corinne Bailey Rae “an album tailor-made for summertime relaxation—fresh, breezy, and utterly mellow.” In other words, lightness is not a bad thing, especially in pop music. Another criterion Wikane and Jones agree on is the technical expertise Bailey Rae exhibits in her album. Although they compare her to great artists of both the past and present, they find this aspect lacking in her first album. Jones’ witty opening to his review (“You cant swing a piano bench these days without hitting the next up-and-coming twentysomething chanteuse…”) demonstrates this aspect. He compares Bailey Rae to the great number of female singer/songwriters making albums today, but admits that she has, unlike so many of her contemporaries, left an impression well after the initial hearing. Even Wikane’s more negative review calls the album “a notable release.” Wikane goes further, however, emphasizing how not even Bailey Rae’s eleven co-writers and eight producers were able to help her express more substance on her album. He states that the tracks on her album are more about the excitement of new love rather than about sting of love gone wrong. He would agree that the album fulfills two more aesthetic criteria—it conveyed Bailey Rae’s feelings about love and demonstrated an aspect of the reality of love as she experienced it—but that it only hits the surface of what love can be like. Wikane suggests the reason for this was Bailey Rae’s youth and inexperience. Two years after the release of this album, in 2008, Bailey Rae’s husband, Jason Rae, was found dead of an accidental overdose, an event that traumatized her so much that she stopped writing and took a year-long hiatus from the music world, and something that invariably affected the music in her second album (Herrera 2010). Jones and Wikane’s biggest issue with Corinne Bailey Rae is although it stands out from similar R&B and pop music albums and they find the music in it enjoyable, it lacks real depth. Jones, for example, finds that Bailey Rae’s “music glows with the spirit of vintage soul and R&B,” with all kinds of influences, from Marvin Gaye to Jill Scott. His issue with Bailey Rae, though, is that she “sounds like everyone but herself” in this album. With all of Wikane’s comparisons to Bailey Rae’s music and puff pastry, he finds her vocals compelling and much of the production values of the album enchanting. Both critics would find that Corinne Bailey Rae fulfills another aesthetic criterion—that it is harmonious and beautiful. Wikins and Jones seem to ignore the remaining aesthetic criteria—the existence of a moral lesson. They seem to believe that R&B and pop music has little to do with helping its listeners live better lives. I would agree; the main purpose of pop music is to provide its listeners with enjoyment, and Corinne Bailey Rae does exactly that. Pop music is not “high art,” and it is not meant to be. Bailey Rae’s music may be light and without much substance, but it gives her listeners a reprieve from their hectic, stressful, and busy lives. As both critics state, in a world of pop music where every song played on the radio has little depth, Bailey Rae’s music rises to the top. It may not have as much substance as these critics would like, but she has distinguished herself as an artist with more depth than most artists selling albums these days. In this way, Corinne Bailey Rae fulfills the aesthetic criterion successfully. . References Corinne Bailey Rae. (June 20, 2006). Metacritic. Retrieved from http://www.metacritic.com/music/corinne-bailey-rae. Herrera, M. (January 11, 2010). Corinne Bailey Rae: The Billboard cover story. Billboard.com. Retrieved from http://www.billboard.com/#/news/corinne-bailey-rae-the-billboard-cover-story-1004058160.story. Jones, P. (June 30, 2006.) Corinne Bailey Rae: Corinne Bailey Rae. Slant Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/corinne-bailey-rae-corinne-bailey-rae/876. Wikane, C. J. (June 28, 2006). Corinne Bailey Rae: Corinne Bailey Rae. PopMatters. Retrieved from http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/corinne-bailey-rae-corinne-bailey-rae. Discography Corinne Bailey Rae. (2006). Corinne Bailey Rae. EMI EMI-B000HBK3MM. Corinne Bailey Rae. (2010). The Sea. EMI EMI-B002X78CB2. Read More